Trials@uspto.gov
`Tel: 571-272-7822
`
` Paper 123
`Entered: June 7, 2021
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
`
`MEDTRONIC, INC. and MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.,
`Petitioner,
`
`v.
`
`TELEFLEX INNOVATIONS S.À.R.L.,
`Patent Owner.
`
`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)1
`
`Before SHERIDAN K. SNEDDEN, JON B. TORNQUIST, and
`CHRISTOPHER G. PAULRAJ, Administrative Patent Judges.
`
`PAULRAJ, Administrative Patent Judge.
`
`1 This Order addresses issues that are the same in all identified proceedings.
`We exercise our discretion to issue one Order to be filed in each proceeding.
`The parties, however, are not authorized to use this style heading in
`subsequent papers.
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`
`ORDER
`Granting Patent Owner’s Unopposed Motions to Seal
`Granting Petitioner’s Unopposed Motions to Seal
`Requiring Parties to Submit Redacted Versions of Final Written Decisions
`37 C.F.R. §§ 42.14, 42.54
`Introduction
`Patent Owner and Petitioner filed various unopposed Motions to Seal
`in the above-captioned proceedings. The Parties further submitted a
`stipulated Joint Protective Order to govern the treatment of the information
`and documents identified by the various Motions to Seal. Paper 10,
`Appendix A.2
`Under 37 C.F.R. § 42.14, the default rule is that all papers filed in
`such proceedings are available to the public. Only “confidential
`information” is subject to protection against public disclosure. 35 U.S.C.
`§ 326(a)(7); 37 C.F.R. § 42.55. The Board also observes a strong policy in
`favor of making all information filed in inter partes review proceedings
`open to the public. See Argentum Pharms. LLC v. Alcon Research, Ltd.,
`IPR2017-01053, Paper 27, 3–4 (PTAB Jan. 19, 2018) (informative). The
`moving parties bear the burden of showing the requested relief should be
`granted. 37 C.F.R. § 42.20(c). To establish “good cause” for the requested
`relief, the Parties must make a sufficient showing that:
`(1) the information sought to be sealed is truly confidential, (2) a
`concrete harm would result upon public disclosure, (3) there
`
`2 Unless otherwise noted, all citations are to IPR2020-00126 with the
`understanding that the other proceedings include papers having substantially
`the same substantive content.
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`
`exists a genuine need to rely in the trial on the specific
`information sought to be sealed, and (4), on balance, an interest
`in maintaining confidentiality outweighs the strong public
`interest in having an open record.
`
`Argentum, Paper 27 at 3–4; see also Corning Optical Commc’ns RF, LLC, v.
`PPC Broadband, Inc., IPR2014-00440, Paper 46 at 2 (PTAB April 6, 2015)
`(requiring a showing that information has not been “excessively redacted”);
`see also 37 C.F.R. § 42.54(a).
`
`We address the Parties’ motions and showings of good cause below.
`
`
`Patent Owner’s Motions to Seal
`On March 9, 2020; March 10, 2020; or April 8, 2020, Patent Owner
`filed unopposed Motions to Seal in IPR2020-00126, IPR2020-00128,
`IPR2020-00129, IPR2020-00132, IPR2020-00134, IPR2020-00135,
`IPR2020-00136, IPR2020-00137, IPR2020-00138. Paper 10. In the Motion,
`Patent Owner requested sealing: the redacted portions of Patent Owner’s
`Preliminary Response (Paper 8), and the entirety of Exhibits 2001–2011–
`2038, 2040, 2041, 2043, 2045, 2058, and 2074. Id. at 2. On March 7, 2021,
`Patent Owner removed the request to seal Exhibits 2002, 2004–2011, 2013,
`2014, 2016, 2019–2035, and 2040. Paper 123.
`Patent Owner contends that the “portions of the under seal version of
`the Preliminary Response corresponding to the redacted portions of the
`public version of the Preliminary Response contain confidential research,
`development, and/or commercial information.” Paper 10, 3. Patent Owner
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`contends that the remaining portions of the Preliminary Response discuss:
`(1) “business development information that Medtronic considers
`confidential” or (2) “revenue numbers for Patent Owner’s GuideLiner
`products and market share estimates.” Id. Patent Owner contends that the
`Exhibits include confidential research, development or commercial
`information. See id. at 4–9.
`On April 7, 2020, Patent Owner filed unopposed Motions to seal in
`IPR2020-00127 and IPR2020-00130. IPR2020-00127, Paper 11; IPR2020-
`00130, Paper 11. In the Motion, Patent Owner requested sealing the
`redacted portions of Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response (Paper 10) and
`Exhibits 2043 and 2058. Id. at 2.
`Patent Owner contends that the “portions of the under seal version of
`the Preliminary Response corresponding to the redacted portions of the
`public version of the Preliminary Response contain confidential research,
`development, and/or commercial information.” IPR2020-00127, Paper 11,
`3. Patent Owner contends that the remaining portions of the Preliminary
`Response discuss: (1) “business development information that Medtronic
`considers confidential” or (2) “revenue numbers for Patent Owner’s
`GuideLiner products and market share estimates.” Id.
`On October 1, 2020 or October 2, 2020, Patent Owner filed
`unopposed Motions to Seal in all of the above-captioned proceedings. Paper
`42. In the Motion, Patent Owner requested sealing the redacted portions of
`Patent Owner’s Response (Paper 43) and the entirety of Exhibits 2139, 2140,
`2141, 2153, 2154, 2197, 2198, 2201, 2202. Id. at 2.
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`
`Patent Owner contends that the redacted portions of Patent Owner’s
`response “on pages 45, 47, 50, and 53 contain confidential Patent Owner
`sales data regarding GuideLiner revenue and units sold, as well as reflect
`licensing strategy. The remaining redacted portions reflect information that
`Petitioner Medtronic has designated as confidential under” the protective
`order in the co-pending district court proceeding. Id. at 3. Patent Owner
`contends that the Exhibits include “confidential research, development, or
`commercial information.” Id. at 4.
`On November 24, 2020, Patent Owner filed unopposed Motions to
`Seal in all of the above-captioned proceedings. Paper 71. In the Motion,
`Patent Owner requested sealing Exhibit 2221. Id. at 2.
`On February 1, 2021, Patent Owner filed unopposed Motions to Seal
`in all of the above-captioned proceedings. Paper 88. In the Motion, Patent
`Owner requested sealing portions of Patent Owner’s Sur-Reply on
`Conception and Reduction to Practice (“CRTP”) (Paper 103), the redacted
`portions of Exhibit 2242, and the entirety of Exhibit 2235. Id. at 2. Patent
`Owner contends that the Exhibit contains “confidential information
`concerning Patent Owner’s business, pricing, and marketing strategy” and
`has been previously designated as confidential in the co-pending district
`court proceeding. Id. at 3.
`On March 4, 2021, Patent Owner filed unopposed Motions to Seal in
`all of the above-captioned proceedings. Paper 119. In the Motion, Patent
`Owner requested sealing portions of Patent Owner’s Demonstratives,
`namely slides 256, 262, 263, 274, and 276–278. Id. at 2. In the Motion,
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`Patent Owner contends that “redacted slides 256, 274, and 276–78 contain
`information that Petitioner has contended is confidential research,
`development, and testing information related to its products, regulatory
`communications, and marketing.” Id. at 3. Patent Owner contends that
`“redacted slides 262–63 contain information that Patent Owner has
`contended contain confidential commercial information relating to revenue
`and units sold.” Id.
`
`
`Petitioner’s Motions to Seal
`On December 17, 2020, Petitioner filed unopposed Motions to Seal in
`IPR2020-00126, IPR2020-00128, IPR2020-00129, IPR2020-00132,
`IPR2020-00134, IPR2020-00135, and IPR2020-00137. Paper 80. In the
`Motion, Petitioner requested sealing portions of Petitioner’s Reply
`addressing CRTP (Paper 78), portions of Exhibit 1755, and the entirety of
`Exhibits 1108, 1308, 1708, 1114, 1314, 1714, 1758, 1759, 1760, 1761, 1763,
`1765, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1774, 1775, 1778, 1779, 1782, 1783, 1786,
`1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, and 1793. Id. at 1.
`In the Motion, Petitioner contends that the redacted portions of Paper
`78 “discuss Patent Owner’s confidential information, specifically,
`information related to Patent Owner’s product development, product design,
`marketing, and related efforts and strategies.” Id. at 2–3. Petitioner
`contends that Ex. 1755 also discusses Patent Owner’s confidential
`information related to the similar material. Petitioner contends that the
`remaining referenced Exhibits “describe Patent Owner’s product
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`development, product design, marketing, and related efforts and strategies.”
`Id. at 4. Petitioner notes that the redacted portions of Petitioner’s CRTP
`Reply and Ex. 1755, as well as the entirety of the remaining Exhibits, were
`produced and designated confidential under the protective order in the co-
`pending district court litigation. Id. at 2–4.
`On December 22, 2020 or December 23, 2020, Petitioner filed
`unopposed Motions to Seal in IPR2020-00126, IPR2020-00127, IPR2020-
`00128, IPR2020-00129, IPR2020-00130, IPR2020-00132, IPR2020-00134,
`IPR2020-00136, IPR2020-00137, and IPR202-00138. Paper 84. In the
`Motion, Petitioner requested sealing portions of Petitioner’s Reply to Patent
`Owner’s Response (Paper 83), and portions of Exhibits 1806, 1807, and
`1830, and the entirety of Exhibits 1114, 1115, and 1821–1823. Id. at 1.
`In the Motion, Petitioner contends that the redacted portions of Paper
`82 “discuss Patent Owner’s confidential information, specifically,
`information related to Patent Owner’s product development, product design,
`marketing, and related efforts and strategies.” Id. at 2. Petitioner contends
`that the redacted portions of Exhibits 1806, 1807, and 1830 discuss “Patent
`Owner’s confidential information, specifically, information related to Patent
`Owner’s product development, product design, marketing, and related
`efforts and strategies, as well as deposition testimony regarding the same.”
`Id. at 3. Petitioner contends that Exhibits 1114, 1115, and 1821–1823,
`“describe Patent Owner’s product development, product design, marketing,
`and related efforts and strategies.” Id. at 3–4. Petitioner notes that the
`redacted portions of Petitioner’s Reply to Patent Owner’s Response and
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`Exhibits 1806, 1807, and 1830, as well as the entirety of the remaining
`Exhibits, were produced and designated confidential under the protective
`order in the co-pending district court litigation. Id. at 2–4
`On March 4, 2021, Petitioner filed unopposed Motions to Seal in all
`of the above-captioned proceedings. Paper 118. Petitioner requested sealing
`portions of Petitioner’s Demonstratives, namely slides 259, 269, and 270.
`Id. at 1–2. In the Motion, Petitioner contends that redacted slides 259, 269,
`and 270 “discuss Patent Owner’s confidential information, specifically,
`information related to Patent Owner’s product development, product design,
`marketing, and related efforts and strategies.” Id. at 2. Petitioner notes that
`this information was designated as confidential under a protective order in
`the co-pending district court proceeding. Id.
`
`
`Analysis
`Upon considering the Parties representations and arguments, the
`contents of the exhibits sought to be sealed in their entirety, and the contents
`of the information sought to be redacted, we conclude that the Parties have
`established good cause for sealing the requested documents.
`On June 7, 2021, we issued our Final Written Decisions in these
`proceedings. Because these Decisions cite to one or more of the foregoing
`documents that have been sealed, we designated the Decisions as “Board
`and Parties Only.” The parties are directed to review our Decisions to verify
`if any confidential information is mentioned, meet and confer in good faith,
`and submit joint proposed redacted versions of the Decisions within five
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`business days after entry of this Order. The proposed redacted versions
`shall be emailed to Trials@uspto.gov.
`
`
`ORDER
`In consideration of the foregoing, it is hereby:
`ORDERED that the parties’ joint motion to enter the Proposed
`Protective Order (Paper 10, Appendix A) is granted, and the Proposed
`Protective Order is, accordingly, entered;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Patent Owner’s requests to seal Exhibits
`2001, 2003, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2036–2038, 2041, 2058, 2074, 2139–2141,
`2153, 2154, 2197, 2198, 2201, 2202, 2221, and 2235, are granted;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Patent Owner’s requests to seal redacted
`portions of Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response, Patent Owner’s
`Response, Patent Owner’s Sur-Reply on CRTP, Exhibits 2043, 2045, and
`2242, and Patent Owner’s Demonstratives are granted;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioner’s requests to seal Exhibits
`1108, 1114, 1115, 1308, 1314, 1708, 1714, 1758, 1759, 1760, 1761, 1763,
`1765, 1767–1770, 1774, 1775, 1778, 1779, 1782, 1783, 1786, 1787–1793,
`and 181–1823 are granted;
`FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioner’s requests to seal redacted
`portions of Exhibits 1755, 1806, 1807, and 1830, Petitioner’s Reply
`addressing CRTP, Petitioner’s Reply to Patent Owner’s Response, and
`Petitioner’s Demonstratives are granted; and
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`
`FURTHER ORDERED that the parties shall meet and confer and
`propose joint redacted versions of our Final Written Decisions in these
`proceedings within five business days.
`
`
`
`

`

`IPR2020-00126 (Patent 8,048,032), IPR2020-00127 (Patent 8,048,032),
`IPR2020-00128 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00129 (Patent RE45,380),
`IPR2020-00130 (Patent RE45,380), IPR2020-00132 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00134 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00135 (Patent RE45,760),
`IPR2020-00136 (Patent RE45,760), IPR2020-00137 (Patent RE47,379),
`IPR2020-00138 (Patent RE47,379)
`
`FOR PETITIONER:
`
`Cyrus Morton
`Sharon Roberg-Perez
`Christopher Pinahs
`William E. Manske
`Emily J. Tremblay
`ROBINS KAPLAN LLP
`cmorton@robinskaplan.com
`sroberg-perez@robinskaplan.com
`cpinahs@robinskaplan.com
`wmanske@robinskaplan.com
`etremblay@robinskaplan.com
`
`
`FOR PATENT OWNER:
`
`Derek Vandenburgh
`Dennis Bremer
`CARLSON, CASPERS, VANDENBURGH & LINDQUIST, P.A.
`dvandenburgh@carlsoncaspers.com
`dbremer@carlsoncaspers.com
`
`